Page:A C Doyle - The White Company.djvu/78

54 'You see what the wage brings,' he answered. 'I eat of the best, and I drink deep. I treat my friend, and I ask no friend to treat me. I clap a silk gown on my girl's back. Never a knight's lady shall be better betrimmed and betrinketed. How of all that, mon garçon? And how of the heap of trifles that you can see for yourselves in yonder corner? They are from the South French, every one, upon whom I have been making war. By my hilt! camarades, I think that I may let my plunder speak for itself.'

'It seems indeed to be a goodly service,' said the tooth-drawer.

'Tête bleue! yes, indeed. Then there is the chance of a ransom. Why, look you, in the affair at Brignais, some four years back, when the companies slew James of Bourbon, and put his army to the sword, there was scarce a man of ours who had not count, baron, or knight. Peter Karsdale, who was but a common country lout newly brought over, with the English fleas still hopping under his doublet, laid his great hands upon the Sieur Amaury de Chatonville, who owns half Picardy, and had five thousand crowns out of him, with horse and harness. 'Tis true that a French wench took it all off Peter as quick as the Frenchman paid it; but what then? By the twang of string! it would be a bad thing if money was not made to be spent; and how better than on woman—eh, ma belle?'

'It would indeed be a bad thing if we had not our brave archers to bring wealth and kindly customs into the country,' quoth Dame Eliza, on whom the soldier's free and open ways had made a deep impression.

'Á toi, ma chérie!' said he, with his hand over his heart. 'Holà! there is la petite peeping from behind the door. Á toi, aussi, ma petite! Mon Dieu! but the lass has a good colour!'

'There is one thing, fair sir,' said the Cambridge student in his piping voice, 'which I would fain that you would make more clear. As I understand it, there was a peace made at the town of Brétigny some six years back between